Chapter Text
“Our sole mission today is to build your wardrobe. And should you see a ring you prefer to these....”
“I told you, I like this one,” Akira grins down at the man dealing with the ends of his sweatpants. Well, the sweatpants he’s wearing on loan from Yusuke himself. A bit too baggy for Yusuke, a bit to long for Akira, but it’s the best they can do for now. The shirt was easy enough, and Yusuke found some old but well-kept shower shoes from his college days.
Yusuke steps back and observed his work as Akira pulls on the jacket he picked from the closet. It’s not necessarily Yusuke’s own style, but somehow it’s exceptionally cute on Akira. And he tells him as much when Akira strikes a pose for him.
It’s deceptively bright out. As soon as Yusuke opens the door, he closes it to go and grab hats and scarves for them both. He resists the urge to just carry the shorter man everywhere as they both tuck their hands into their coat pockets. First stop without question: shoes.
•
“How do they feel?”
“Hmm...” Akira paces a slow circle in front of the mirror. “I don’t dislike them...”
“But you’d prefer something else?”
“Yeah. I liked them more at first glance.”
“What else would you like to try?” Yusuke helps him unlace the shoes.
Akira extends his neck, trying to see over the shelves, and Yusuke finds himself staring, committing the image to memory for when he makes it back to his sketchbook. He’s snapped back to here and now by Akira gasping as he springs to his feet.
“They have boots,” he whispers urgently. Yusuke grins to himself as he returns the first pair to the shelf and follows Akira to the next pair to catch his eye.
•
About fifteen pairs of shoes later—seven of which were actually purchased, aside from the pair now on Akira’s feet—they’re looking through clothes.
“What kind of person am I?” Akira muses as he contemplates the wall of shirts. “Would I even ever wear a sweater? Or maybe something like that is more me?” They see a man walk by, his attire ready for a Harujuku fashion shoot.
“Why would the kind of person you are matter so much?” Yusuke flips through some of the hangers.
“Don’t clothes kind of tell people about you?”
“Certainly. Allow me to rephrase the question: why would you have to choose one style over the other?” Akira looks a bit confused. “Take your costume from when we first met for example. That coat—which might I add did wonders at accentuating your shoulders—is a far cry from today’s attire. And yet, you look great in both; and you are still very much the same confident and dramatic man in either.”
Yusuke holds up a black sweatshirt with a nice rose design on one sleeve and a pair of black pants for Akira’s consideration. “I would choose based on how I feel and how I want to feel rather than how I think people see me.” He pretends to be interested in a nearby display, trying to hide how his cheeks redden at the way Akira peeks up at him through his curls.
“I think that’s a good idea,” a mildly mischievous smirk creeps onto Akira’s lips as he takes the sweatshirt.
•
They make the arduous journey home loaded down with bag after bag of Akira’s new things. Their arms are on fire by the time they get into the door, but it was a fun day, and more than successful, at that.
Akira flits around, excitedly chatting and showing off all 20-something potential outfits as Yusuke sits and enjoys a cup of coffee, more or less catching the words but mostly just drinking in the other man’s pure joy.
After a full day of shopping, Yusuke has a pretty good idea of some of the things Akira may like and secretly adds more to his online shopping carts each time Akira steps back in the closet to change.
“I almost forgot this one! And it looks so good on!” he calls from in front of the mirror. Yusuke can’t see what he’s talking about yet, but he’s certain it will be beautiful.